Lock cap



Dec. 26, 1933. c. c. TURNER 1,941,119

LOCK GAP Filed Sept. 2, 1951 Patented Dec. 26, 1933 T D STATES PATENT oFFici:

1;941,119 LooK CAP Charles C. Turner, Los Angeles, Calif., Application September 2, 1931. Serial'NoL 560,764

' l 9 Claims.' (cite-9o) My invention relates to a lock capsuitable for gasoline tanks.

In theordinary gasolinetanks such' as used on automobiles, the cap is generally attached by such cap having a pair of internal projecting fingers which may be inserted through slots in a flange formed on an'upward projection of the gasoline tank. The cap may then be given a partial turn, such as aquarter turn, and becomes securely wedged in position. This is usually due to a camshaped internal on the projecting neck of I the tank.

V In connectionwith this type of cap, an object and feature of my invention is the provision of'a look so that when the cap is once attached to the neck ofthe tank and the lock is turned to the locking position the capcannot be removed as it cannot be rotated in a direction to disengage the fingers from the cam rim and; to bring these in alignment with-the slots or notches in the llm.

Inthis connection'a more detailed object and feature of my invention is forming a bolt which may be operated by the lock, which look may be of diiierent types, the bolt being offsuch afnature that it'ma'y beretracted or thrust outwardly in a somewhatradialdirection. The'bolt, when retracted, may be brought into alignment with one 7 of the fingers of the cap and maybe jthus inserted through the notch in the rim of the neck of the tank and may be carried below'the low end of the cam-shaped rim, then whenthe bolt is proj'ected it will. engage the high end of the cam to prevent reverse rotation of the cap.

In a modification of my invention I'use a simpler typeof lock with a'radially sliding bolt, in which case thebolt is located out of alignment with the fingers of the cap and the fingers of the cap are inserted in a notch between the cams. The cap is then rotated until the fingers engage a stop. Then, to lock the cap the bolt is thrust radially outwardly "into the notch between-the camsand prevents the reverse rotation. V

In a further construction of my invention the cap isscrew threaded on the neck at the tank opening and the lock is provided with ashank which supports the bolt in sucha position that when the cap is screwed into position; the bolt.

may be extended and prevent unscrewing and, hence,removal of the cap. d A d 1 My inventionis illustrated in connection with the accompanying-drawing, in which:

'Fig. 1 is a perspective view of my cap applied tothe neck of a tankj f d Fig. 2 is-a vertical section on the line 2 -2- of tion 23.

Figs. 1 or 3'in the directionof the arrows, show-'- ing the device the locked position;

Fig. 3 is a horizontal secton on, the line 3=-3"0f Fig. 2 in the direction of the arrows, showing the device in thelockedposition; Fig. 4 is a vertical section on-the line 4-4 of Figs. 2 or 3 inthe direction of the arrows;

7 Fig.5 is a section on theline 3-3 of Fig. 2 with the cap in the unlocked position;

Fig. 6. is a bottom view ,of the cap removed from the tank; I

Fig. 7 is a horizontal section through the tank neck showing a modified construction of lock cap and tank neck; j y

Fig. 8 is avertical section through a further modification showing the cap threaded on the neck of the tank. In the illustrations, Figs. 1 throughfi, a portion of the tank is designated by the numeral 11, This. has a" neck 12 extending upwardly, such neck having an inwardly extending flange 13, such flange having a downwardly extending cam-shaped rim 14. This rim has 'a low portion 15 at one side and a high portion 16 at the'oppO site side. The rims are not a full semi-circle but there are diametrically opposite slots or notches 17 between the low end of onecam rim and the high end of the'other cam rim. In the ordinary. practice these rims have a'depression 18 for engagement with the'fingers of the cap; The

rim is usually'made entirely of metal.

"'The cap designated generally at 19 is illus trated as having a' disk-like section 20, a flange 21 extending downwardlytherefrom, areduced cylindrical section 22 extending upwardly from the inside portion of the disk, and a dome sec- This dome section has an opening'in which is fitted the lock designated generally at 24. Aninternal disk 25 and a finger tip 26 are secured on the under side of the domed part by inga rim 28 engaging the upper part of the a plate 3'7, this latter having securing screws 38 fastening the bolt to the bottom of the barrel of the lock. The barrel is eccentric in the lock. The bolt has a downwardly extending section 39 and a projecting operating end 40. The operating end 40, when retracted, has its tip of substantially the same radius as the tips 31 of the fingersZQ, and when the cap is unlocked may be inserted through the notches 17. However, the tip portion 41 extends downwardly below the finger tips to such an extent that it will clear the low part of the cam on the rim of the neck of the tank but not below the high portion of such cam.

The manner of operation of this modification of the lock is as follows:

The cap is unlocked with its bolt in the position shown in Fig. 6, in which it will be seen that the bolt and the fingers which are rigidly. se-

cured to the cap are in alignment. The cap is then inserted on the tank with the bolt and the fingers passing through the notches 17. The cap is then rotated, which brings the fingers into registry with the depression '18 of the cams, preventing further movement of the cap and securely holding this inposition and pressing the packing 42 against the flange 13 of the neck of the tank. In this turning movement of the cap, the lock andthe retracted bolt is turned with the cap. Then, on operating the key the bolt is turned in a reverse direction to that or"v the cap in securing to the neck and brings the bolt into the position shown in Fig. 3, in which it is thrust outwardly radially but it is in vertical alignment with one of the notches 17. This brings one side of the bolt close to the end 43 of the high side of one of the cams on the rim of the neck of the tank. Therefore, it is impossible to rotate the tank cap in the counter clockwise direction of the arrow 44 of Fig. 3 to disengage the fingers from the notches 18 and thus from the cams to bring these into alignment with the notches 17 for removal of the cap. Hence, the cap is firmly locked to the neck of the tank.

. In Fig. 7 I have'illustrated a modification in which the cam rim 45 of the neck of the tank has the out-turned portions 46, each of which. is provided with a depending stop abutment 4'7. The cap is constructed in the same manner as above described, as far as the fingers are concerned,

these fingers being insertable through opposite notches 1'7, but the fingers can only be turned untilthey come into engagement with a stop 47, this being illustrated as substantially a 45 degree turn, whereas in Figs. 3 and 5v the fingers'are illustrated as having a 90 degree turn. This construction is adapted for a simpler type of lock which has a sliding bolt 48 operating in guides 49 and manipulated by a lock construction operated by a key. This bolt is radially slidable and may be retracted inside ofthe rim of theneck'of the tank. In applying this type of cap to a'tank, the bolt is retracted, permitting the fingers which are securely attached to the cap to be inserted through the notches 17 between the complementary cams. The cap is then rotated until the fingers engage the stops 4'7, this preventing further movement. The key then operates the lock to throw the bolt radially outwardly intoone of the notches 17, as indicated in Fig. 7, and hence, as the highside 16 andthe end edge 43 of thecam are adjacent the bolt, the'cap cannot be rotated in a reverse direction to that of the arrow 50 todisengage thecap.v

It will be obvious that different types of locks may be utilized with my invention.

In Fig. 8 the tank is illustrated as having a neck 51 screw threaded on the outside with a turned-in flange 52, and the cap 53 is indicated as having a threaded skirt 54 threaded on the neck 51. The lock 55 has a stem 56 projecting inwardly in the cap and carrying the bolt 57. This bolt may be retracted in order to clear the opening in the fiange 52 andrnay be held retracted while the cap is being screw threaded into position. When the cap is finally located attached sufficiently to the neck, the key in the lock may be operated to extend the bolt so that it will engage on the inside of the tank adjacent the neck as indicated at 58. This will prevent unscrewing of the cap.

Variouschanges may be made in the details of construction without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims.

I claim:

1. In a device as described, having a tank with afilling opening and an upstanding neck, an inwardly extending rim formed in two camshaped parts separated by a pair of diametrically opposite notches, each part having aslope from a low to a high end, a cap fitting on the neck and having a pair of depending and laterally extending fingers, said fingers being insertable through said'notches and rotatable with the. cap to engage the cam, means to form a stop position in the rotation of the cap combined with a lock having a bolt, said bolt being extensible and retractable, and in an extended position being in alignment with one. of the notches, said bolt being positioned to clear. the low end but to engage the high end of the bath and preventthe reverse rotation of the cap to prevent removal.

2. In a device as claimed in claim 1, said bolt in its retracted position being in alignment with one ofthe fingers and being insertable through one of the n'otches,said bolt being rotatable with the cap when turning the cap to its securing position and having a reverse motion on looking to return the bolt into alignment with the notch through whichit enters the neck of the tank.

3. In a device as described, a tank havinga filling opening with a neck, an internal rim formed in two cam-shaped parts spaced by two diametrically opposite notches, each part having a low and a high end,.such ends being adjacent the notches, a cap having a pair of diametrically extending fingers insertable through the notches, the cap being rotatable, at least one of the parts of the rims having a stop to engage thefinger combined with a lock in the cap having a slidable bolt, said bolt when-the cap is in its secured position beingv in alignment with one of the notches, and in its retracted position being clear of the rim, and in its projected position extending into alignment with a notch to engage the high end of one of the cams and thereby prevent reverse rotation of the cap.

4. In a device as described, having a tank with a filling opening and an outstandingneck, an inwardly extending rim with a pair of vertical notches therein anda stop means on therim, a

'capfitting on the neckand having a pair of dewith the fingers engaging the stop the bolt may be projected to engage the rim at one of the notches and prevent reverse rotation of the cap.

5. In a device as described, having a tank with a filling opening and an upstanding neck with an inwardly extending rim having two camshaped parts separated by a pair of vertical.

notches, each part of the cam sloping from a low toa high end, a cap having a lock with a pair of fixed fingers secured to the cap by the lock, said fingers being insertable through the notches and rotatable with the cap until they contact with the under surface of the cams, the lock having a bolt mounted to swing in the arc of a circle, said bolt in'its retracted position being in alignment with one of the fingers and insertable in one of 'the notches, and when the cap is rotated to bring the fingers into engagement with thecams, said bolt when projected engaging the high side of one of the cams at one of the notches and preventing reverse rotation of the cap.

6. In a device as described in claim 5, the cams having stop devices to limit the rotation of the cap relative to the neck and cams.

'7. In a device as described, a cap for a filler opening for a tank, saidcap having a disk-like section over the opening and a fiange'to engage.

of stop devices to engage the fingers on rotation of the cap after inserting the. fingers through 3 the notches, the bolt being movable in the arc of a circle and in itsretracted position being in alignment with one of the fingers and in its projected position afterthe fingers have been rotated said'bolt being in alignment with one of the notches andengaging the side of the notch to prevent reverse rotation of the cap.

8. In a locking device of the class described, the. combination with a gasoline tank filling spout having an inwardly extending annular flange provided with a notched portion therein, a rotary cap adapted to fit over said spout, a lock barrel with rotating post, an arm carried by said cap and adapted to be brought into and out of engagement with said flange by the rotary movement of the cap, a finger carried by said post and movable therewith and adapted to be brought into and out of alignment with said arm and also into engagement with the side of said notched portion.

9.In a fuel tank lock of the class described, the combination with a filling spout having an inwardly extending annular flange with a notched portion therein, a rotary cap adapted to fit over.

said spout, a locking mechanism carried by said cap, said mechanism comprising a barrel with a rotating post therein, means for controlling the movement thereof,an. arm carried by said cap and. fittedto pass through said notched portion and adapted to be rotated with the cap... and brought beneath the flange and to engage the same, a finger carried by said post, means for moving said finger in alignment with said arm, and means for moving it independently of said arm andinto engagement with the side of said notched portion. 1 J

CHARLES C. TURNER. 

